Project Title:

Digital Signal Processing Elements for Narrow-Beam Wide-Band Communications

94-1	14.05	1190		

Digital Signal Processing Elements for Narrow-Beam Wide-Band 
Communications

Abstract:

HYPRES proposes to develop a superconducting parallel Multiplier 
Accumulator (MAC) as an elemental building block for Digital Signal 
Processing (DSP) applications. The MAC will be designed using Rapid 
Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) logic elements, and fabricated using 
HYPRES' NbN technology. Our purpose is to demonstrate the 
feasiblilty of building extremely low-power DSP circuits operating 
at a temperature of 10K. Two applications are of immediate 
interest: Digital beamforming (DBF) and spread-spectrum 
communications. DBF allows a drastic improvement of communication 
systems performance by enhancing the reception of signals from a 
specific direction. HYPRES proposes a Wideband Digital Beamforming 
(WDBF) system based on a superconducting Analog-to-Digital 
Converter (ADC), true time delay, and digital multiply/sum 
functions operating at 10GHz. This system allows beamforming of 
spread-spectrum communications signals, which cannot be performed 
by currently-used narrow-band beamforming systems. The MAC 
developed in this program can also be used to implement both a 
10GS/s correlator for a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 
receiver and a 10GS/s Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for a Frequency 
Division Multiple Access (FDMA) channelizer. In Phase I, HYPRES 
will develop a parallel multiplier cell. In Phase II, HYPRES will 
implement complete MACs for use in a multi-channel beamforming 
system. 

Applications include wide-band narrow-beam satellite communication 
links, secure communication systems, multifunctional conformal 
antennas arrays for surveillance, intercept, and tracking 
applications. The digital signal processing functions developed in 
this program will benefit any application that limited by 
processing speed, such as, proposed digital electronic warfare 
systems and commercial spectrum analyzer and digitizer 
instrumentation.

Key Words

HYPRES, Inc.
175 Clearbrook Road
Elmsford, New York 10523